A student was arrested after he threatened to ‘shoot up’ a Broward high school, police say
A 15-year-old South Broward High student was arrested after making an online school shooting threat over the weekend.
A picture of a male student holding what appeared to be a gun — with a caption that said “Abouta shoot up a school” — circulated on Snapchat overnight, Hollywood police wrote in his arrest report. The Miami Herald is not naming the student because of his age.
He told police that the picture, which he sent to a few friends, was supposed to be a joke, according to the report. The gun, which police confiscated, was a toy, according to authorities.
Concerned students reported the photo to the school, which led to Hollywood police investigating and arresting the student, who appeared in juvenile court Monday.
Additionally, the school sent a robocall to families Sunday night alerting them that they were aware of the threat circulating via social media.
“Please know the situation is secure by Hollywood Police and it is safe to return to school tomorrow,” the message said.
The judge gave the student 21 days of detention and ordered him to stay off social media, NBC6 reports.
Several other students also have been arrested this year for posting online threats. Last week, Interim Broward Schools Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright addressed the ongoing issue following the arrest of three 12-year-old Silver Trail Middle School students. Investigators said two boys and one girl made threats during a Snapchat conversation.
The Silver Trail Middle incident came days after a 14-year-old Broward teen was apprehended on a charge of making threats to shoot up St. Brendan Catholic School in Miami. Investigators added that he made the threats after losing a game of Fortnite — a hugely popular battle royale created by Epic Games. And only days after school started in August, two Pembroke Pines students were arrested after police say they made threats on Instagram.
This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 6:32 PM.
